Lever Action for Pronghorn

[FLS]

I’ve got a mid fifties Savage 99F in 300 Savage that I planned to take west last year, but I wimped out at the last minute and took my 270. The 99 is a tack driver with the Sierra 150 Pro Hunters. I hunt with a 336 in .35 Remington a good bit here in SC.

 

[Europe]

Only my second post, but here are my 2 cents:

Under 200 yards a lever gun in 30-30 with modern ammo is just fine. My brother and I used to hunt with lever action marlins. His was a 30-30 with a 2-7x scope and mine was a .308 Marlin express with a 3-9x scope. We shot Hornady Leverevolution ammo and never felt under-gunned. The 30-30 with the Leverevolution ammo drops 12 inches at 300 yards. With traditional round-nosed loads I would keep my shots well under 200 yards. My brother killed an antelope around 300 yards with the 30-30 and Hornady ammo. (Might have been luck or stupidity). I killed a cow elk at ironically 308 yards with the .308 mx. The .308mx doesn't really belong in this discussion as it is closer to the .308 Winchester instead of a 30-30. Antelope are easy to kill so really all you have to decide is how far you want to be able to realistically shoot. Of the antelope I have shot all have been under 200 yards and many under 100 yards. I personally would think the joy of hunting with a lever-gun would be to put a peep-sight on the gun and try and hunt one under 100 yards for the challenge instead of trying to stretch the range. Years back writer Wayne van Zwoll did some articles about hunting with the 30-30 for a season with the Leverevolution ammo. He didn't feel under-gunned harvesting, pronghorn, deer, elk, and black bear with the 30-30. Have fun with the lever gun.

Very nicely stated. 406/307

Brent, beautiful rifles, very nice

I personally feel that your options are unlimited and a lever action rifle can be so much fun to use. hunting antelope under 200 yards is of course possible, possibly a bit more work, but that is o.k., thats one of the reasons its called hunting and not shooting
Dont be afraid to look for a used rifle and if you do so you might find a Savage in calibers 308, 243, 7mm-08. Browning has discontinue making the 7mmwsm but if you find one it will reach out and touch something for you. Henry's are also well made as is Marlin but they are going to come in calibers that limit your distance. But if under 200 yards will work for you, what is better than a Winchester 30/30, at least nostalgia wise. Also there use to be a company in Montana called Grizzly that made nice lever action rifles and did calibers conversions . Someone here will know if they are still in business and whether or not they do good work. PLUS the rifles Brent likes, dont discount those beauties. Last but not least dont forget the old Win 71

Good luck on finding the rifle with your name on it and hunting with it

 

[RafterH]

I too love my lever actions. I often use a 30-30 or my 444 Marlin. Longest kill with the 444 was 275 yards.

 

[JohnCushman]

I have a buddy that shot an antelope with a 35 remington lever action. I have shot an antelope doe with a 30-30 lever gun as well. Both shots were under 100 yards.

 

[Panda Bear]

a 250 savage ( with a 1/10 ) loaded by norma with a 100gr Nosler Partition works on Caribou, it should handle speed goats. The 348 loaded with a 250 gr wood leigh knocks down caribou with authority, so that should also work, if you like Winchester and Savage.

 

[brymoore]

My Dad uses a Winchester Model 88 in .308.

 

[CUElk]

My first rifle was a marlin 444. I still bring it when we come out west, it just seems that is where it belongs. One of these days I hope to take an elk with it.

 

[HandgunHunter]

I don’t see it as a handy cap at all....if I can continuously take critters with handguns sure you can with a lever.

the stalk is the most fun part of lope hunting....it’s too easy to shoot them at 1/4 mile or more.

 

[TheGreek]

My first western big game hunt was with my grandfather’s model 99 savage in .243. About a 150 yard shot. The backup gun on that same trip was a marlin 336 in 30-30 that was/is a MOA gun with Hornady lever-evolution ammo which shot well and consistent out to 300 yards.

 

[LittleBill]

I'm loving all the feedback. A Savage 99 and a Winchester Model 88 would definitely allow you a little more wiggle room as far as range is concerned. Excellent rifles in both form and function.

Excellent point about hunting with a handgun. That's another arena I hope to dabble in sometime down the road. I agree about the stalking part of the hunt. Being from Northwest Arkansas, I don't get much opportunity for spot and stalk hunting, so those trips I made to Wyoming were pure nirvana to me. Wide open spaces that allowed me to decide how I wanted to close the distance on an animal. Can't wait to get back out there.

I too own a 444. It's a 444XLR, so not the typical brush gun, but it's one of the first guns I bought on my own. It's accounted for some whitetail here at home with a 225 grain Barnes handload, but that's all it's managed. Hopefully one of these days I'll muster the courage to stretch its legs on a Western hunt. Maybe I'll just bring it and my 338 Marlin so I'll have to use one or the other.

 

[X13]

I'm loving all the feedback. A Savage 99 and a Winchester Model 88 would definitely allow you a little more wiggle room as far as range is concerned. Excellent rifles in both form and function.

Excellent point about hunting with a handgun. That's another arena I hope to dabble in sometime down the road. I agree about the stalking part of the hunt. Being from Northwest Arkansas, I don't get much opportunity for spot and stalk hunting, so those trips I made to Wyoming were pure nirvana to me. Wide open spaces that allowed me to decide how I wanted to close the distance on an animal. Can't wait to get back out there.

I too own a 444. It's a 444XLR, so not the typical brush gun, but it's one of the first guns I bought on my own. It's accounted for some whitetail here at home with a 225 grain Barnes handload, but that's all it's managed. Hopefully one of these days I'll muster the courage to stretch its legs on a Western hunt. Maybe I'll just bring it and my 338 Marlin so I'll have to use one or the other.

I haven't used it on a pronghorn but used a borrowed 1960 Savage 99F in 308 to kill a cow elk at 400+/- yards this year. I liked it so much I bought the exact same gun for myself as soon as I got home.

My other lever gun is a Marlin 336C in 35 Rem. Its a tack driver of a rifle, lightweight, short, and easy to carry but I am fairly concerned that it is cursed. Its one of my first guns and haven't fired a shot in anger with it. Every hunt I've taken it on I have been skunked.

 

[Bullshot]

Resurrecting this discussion… I’ll be bringing a lever 30-30 as my second rifle if I am lucky enough to get an an antelope tag this season. Depending on the circumstances, I would love to put in some stalks with it as success would appeal to me more than using the bolt gun, particulary since the last couple I’ve taken were with a 6.5 man bun. The lever would not be much of a handicap on bringing home meat, as is the only real goal, but might extend my hunting time in a really enjoyable way.

 

[p_ham]

Resurrecting this discussion… I’ll be bringing a lever 30-30 as my second rifle if I am lucky enough to get an an antelope tag this season. Depending on the circumstances, I would love to put in some stalks with it as success would appeal to me more than using the bolt gun, particulary since the last couple I’ve taken were with a 6.5 man bun. The lever would not be much of a handicap on bringing home meat, as is the only real goal, but might extend my hunting time in a really enjoyable way.

I'm more happy hunting with weapons I find interesting than I am obsessing over success. I'm rebuilding a rolling block for this year's horns shorter than ears tag. Hopefully I'll have it done in time.

 

[BrentD]

Resurrecting this discussion… I’ll be bringing a lever 30-30 as my second rifle if I am lucky enough to get an an antelope tag this season. Depending on the circumstances, I would love to put in some stalks with it as success would appeal to me more than using the bolt gun, particulary since the last couple I’ve taken were with a 6.5 man bun. The lever would not be much of a handicap on bringing home meat, as is the only real goal, but might extend my hunting time in a really enjoyable way.

You are right that hunting with an older vintage rifle is much more fun. But what I do not understand is why anyone would make it there "second rifle" which basically means it ain't likely to see daylight. Why not make it your primary rifle? Your trophy will be that much more meaningful to you.

Just the way I see it.

 

[Luis]

In the 1980's and 1990's there were many more antelope on the eastern plains of MT. I shot quite a few under 100yards then. Since the winter of 2008, the numbers have been getting less every year and their range is getting smaller. Now I see more hunters and less antelope in the areas I hunt. I would not handicap myself today with a rifle that can't hit a small area/kill zone over 200 yds.
I believe the antelope is the least respected big game animal in the west. I always see a few limping around from being wounded by someone that did not have the ethical conviction to track it and finish it.

 

[WYelker]

I never make it into rifle season for my lopes. I manage to kill them all spot and stalk with archery. If I do make it I have a Winchester 30/30 I can use!!